New Online Shop! Check it out!!

Just wanted to touch base and let you know what is going on with Crack Tops. I have been incredibly busy lately. I volunteer with the local Drug Free Youth (D-FY) and we were overwhelmed and elated to have over 100 kids sign up from one school, so for a while I was inputting data, going out to the school to get kids registered and tested on top of the one day a week I already volunteer with them.

It is amazing to see so many kids committing to be drug free in our community! ♥ During this time my boss went out of the country for 3 weeks and I filled in for her...whew glad that is over, managing a community is NOT for me! ...and we just wrapped up the 4th annual File Family Halloween Bash and Haunted Walk. Now that that is done my focus is going to be getting on getting our Tees on Storenvy. My original plan was to do the blog and sell Crack Tops through that site...but let's be realistic, I am either too lazy or too busy to keep up a blog. I am pretty sure it is a little of both. I think Storenvy will give me a little more freedom to just design the Tees and not have to worry about maintaining a blog. I will keep the blog up..because hell, I'm still a dreamer. My fist concentration is going to be the Tee for children's cancer. We have narrowed down to two ideas, submitted by @Jill Barr. I have been too slow to get that design out. I will try to get it done in the next week or so. I wanted to keep everyone posted...I am not froo froo, I will not call my "likers" my pretties, my loves, or any of that flowery crap to get your business, this is a hobby for us. I am a simple person, with simple ideas, I am lazy sometimes, I am crazy busy and feel like a ping pong ball sometimes, I am flawed, but I stand by my commitments and I am honest...oh and I want to save the world....starting tomorrow. =)  If you see something you like here, please check out my Storenvy shop!

Reaching Out to Kids With Cancer

In my eyes there is not much worse than childhood cancer. I personally have never had a child with cancer, but I have never felt that we were immune. I have spent many years donating to children's cancer research because I know that if it were my child I would want others to support research for cancer treatments....but the kids are also in need of support. They need reinforcement that they are st

rong, they are beautiful, and they are so much more than this awful disease. I have a friend that works for a children's hospital in Tennessee, every once in a while she reaches out through facebook to ask for prayers for a child and their family. It never ceases to tear apart my heart. I had the idea to design a Tee for the kids that lets the world know that they are special and they ARE so much more than cancer. I have been having trouble coming up with something (a saying or quote) inspirational to design, that would do it justice. After discussing it with my friend, we decided to open it up as a "contest". So please pass this along. Post your idea. I will design the artwork to match your inspirational saying. If your idea is chosen, you will be given publicity credit for your idea, and your choice of an existing Crack Tops design Tee. Since there will be no monetary profit for these Tees (I will be donating all Tees to the children's hospital, they will not be for sale) simply knowing that your inspiration is bringing joy to children will be your reward. So start sharing, and keep the ideas coming. I will accept ideas throughout the entire month of August.  You can leave your ideas here on my blog, or find us on facebook  either way I promise your submission will be entered for voting. Thanks and Peace. [♥]

Vacay Part 1

We started off leaving when I got home from work (not everyone has a job like my husband where he can take a few shifts off and it works out to 3 weeks vacation...) so I rushed to gather the things that I packed and get on the road....seriously by the time we got to Ocala (roughly 3 hours away) I realized I forgot my camera!!! How in the hell can you go on vacation without a camera? We stopped for the night in Georgia, somewhere around Tifton, just past the barrage of billboards that advertise "We Bare All" and some horribly misguided church proclaiming that "homosexuality is an abomination"....hey I'm all for freedom of speech, but don't throw it in the face of kids traveling with their parents. Anyway, off topic (I tend to do that a lot, I am easily distracted by shiny things) I ended up buying a cheap camera from a superstore...14 megapixels for $59, yep it was too good to be true! My 2 megapixel camera phone took way better pictures! So here is where my picture tour begins! We drove through some of the prettiest country ever, I am so torn at this point between Kentucky and Pennsylvania as to which is my favorite. By far they were the cleanest states of the whole trip, with the nicest roads. I drove through both states almost entirely by myself! Our first sight-seeing tour was just across the Illinois border (where the first picture was taken in my game post). We arrived on Friday night around 6 o'clock. I had planned on us grabbing a bite to eat, not ever expecting that small towns (even tourist attraction towns) completely fold up their sidewalks at 4-5 o'clock! It was so weird that on a Friday evening we saw maybe 2 or 3 cars in the city center! A concept so foreign to me..but as we traveled further into Illinois, and stayed for a while, I realized this was quite the norm. It was so neat to see small town America, whole towns with one traffice ligt, some with none at all. We met my husband's dad at the Huddle House  in Greenville, IL, the apparent happening place there, they were packed! We left to make the 12 mile drive to his house in Coffeen, through corn and bean fields and lots of dark country roads! So glad that he was there to guide us, cause these Floridians cold think of nothing else but, Children of the Corn and Jeepers Creepers...scary! Over the next 3 days we drove everyday into Greenville for breakfast at the Huddle House (yes it was the closest restaurant...and my father-in-law is a 12 year bachelor so food in the house was scarce). Everyone was so friendly, and in St. Louis Cardinals country, his new Crack Tops were a huge hit! I have never seen so many people in a a town so serious about their baseball! The weather was beautiful and the relaxing laid back attitude was cathartic for both my husband and my son. I can't believe that my husband (usually a squirrel on crack) could sit still. We spent three days sitting under the big shade tree, walking to the lake (an interesting by-product of the power plant...and a story for another day). We bonded over doing nothing at all. We got to see the tiny house where my husband grew up and meet some of his childhood like-family friends. Driving through the corn fields my youngest (who is inheriting her father's quick wit) said very seriously, "This looks really familiar, where have I seen this before?" and then quickly followed by "Oh yeah, that's right, EVERYWHERE!" After 20 years of marriage it was time for me to see where my husband came from, and it was quaint, and simple, and....not for everyone. my son said he wanted to live here...because it is socially acceptable to just sit in your yard all day under a tree...such ambition!!! All in all it was a great experience, and I truly believe that everyone should experience small town America, if even for a short visit.

Game Time!!!

We just got back from a long (for us) vacation...a little over 2 weeks away from home! We drove from our sleepy little town in SW Florida, to Illinois and then to New York and New Jersey (this is your first clue). I know, right? A long ass ride indeed!! I don't drive much, and I don't sleep much/at all when the hubs is driving, ( I cannot give up that control, but I digress) so of course I had some time to think that a Crack Tops Game would be fun! The rules of the game are simple: The game is a team effort (teams of two only). Pick a partner, and come up with a creative team name  (a lame-o team name will not decrease your odds of winning either). Like us on facebook (both team members must be Crack Tops "likers" to qualify). Post your team name/members on our facebook page. Now here comes the game, I will post some photos we took on our vacation of pretty well known United States landmarks/historical places. The first team to correctly guess all of the landmarks will win a Crack Tops tee of their choice (you get to choose the design, size and color from existing designs, no custom designs please) for each team member (two total). I will be giving hints along the way over the next couple of days so be alert. The first team to guess the locations (answers must be specific, including name of landmark, spelling, and city/state located) and post them as a response to this blog post will be the winners. If you can tell me what TV show features the last landmark picture, I will give your team 20% off your next order. I Game ends July 30, 2012 or when the correct response is posted, whichever occurs first. I reserve the right to disqualify any teams for not meeting all of the criteria of the game. Thanks kiddos...and May the Odds be Ever In Your Favor!

Be Nice to the Zombies (and The Cubs)

We made a few new shirts today and I wanted to add a sneak peek.I can't decide which one I like best, the Zombies or the Be Nice? The Baseball one...well that is a different story all togehter. It is a special order for my father-in-law who is a HUGE Cardinals fan...and apparently they hate the Cubs...hmmm who knew? I can't ever claim to know anything about sports. So I am neutral!  I will be crazy busy over the next two weeks and I won't be able to fulfill any orders until the 29th, so I am not yet putting them on my checkout pages. If you would like to order one of them in the meantime please feel free, just specify in the drop down menu the name and color, but I please remember that I will not be able to make them until after the 29th. So for now... Be Nice to the Zombies (and I guess to the Cubs too). Peace!

Rain Barrels!

I have wanted rain barrels forever. They are pretty pricey. I had found that the County I live in offers a mini course for around $40 and at the end you get a rain barrel...sounded great...until I found that every one of them is scheduled for a Monday morning. Really?? When will Florida ever figure out that everyone here is NOT retired. Anyway...I think I have mentioned it a million times at work, how badly I wanted rain barrels...last week my boss came in from one of her community runs (I work for a retirement community) and told me a resident had their rain barrels out at the end of their driveway with a "free" sign! I got in the golf cart (ok yes cliche retirement community transportation) and knocked on his door. He agreed to hold them for me!! While we were talking 2 other people came by interested in them...I felt like a mother bear protective over her cubs and thought I might go all ROWR on them..but never fear they were mine!! I took them home and painted them , one a psychedelic with PEACE signs and PAISLEYS cause I'm kind of a hippie at heart, and the other with a tree. As I was painting I thought of my grandmother, who was a truly gifted artist, and all the times I watched her paint. I am a crafter I  do not pretend to be an artist like she was. I did; however, feel her with me as I was painting. I knew she would be proud of me, and I could here her compliments. I added some black-eyed-susans because they were one of her favorite flowers, and then dragonflies for my grandfather because I truly believe that he sends them for me. I also decided to add a ladybug in remembrance of my cousin Frannie, because she also sends ladybugs to my Aunt. I felt their spirits all around me that day as I was painting, for some reason they let me know they were there. I am pretty proud of the way the rain barrels turned out! Now I have beautiful, fun, and functional art in my yard that pays tribute to three beautiful lives! PEACE  <3

Out til sun up...slept all day!

When I was younger I used to go out every night, and more times than I can remember, was still up as the sun was rising.....Last night I got to re-live my youth (sort of). Last night I had the pleasure of chaperoning NPHS (GO Bobcats!) Project Graduation! This is an annual event immediately following graduation. The kids are bussed to the YMCA where food, music, games, bounce houses, a comedian, swimming, fun, and prizes are flowing. Prizes range from gift cards, scholarships, computers, tvs, and the grand prize a gently used car! Everything is donated by local businesses, and everyone in attendance wins something. The event runs all night long (we quit at 5AM) and gives the kids a safe place to party after graduation. Great for the kids and great for the parents. As a parent of  teens, and a worrier this piece of mind is priceless!
This year I was talked into being on the committee by my friend Peaches (who happens to be my daughter's ex-boyfriend's mother and I still love them all even though it is weird to my daughter). Peaches has been volunteering with Project Graduation for a couple of years now, she is learning the ropes and now "running the show." There is so much that goes into this event, and it is a year-long process. Getting donations of food, prizes, coordinating volunteers, fundraising, securing the location and entertainment etc...although a lot of work, it was fun and rewarding. I have to say that getting together washing cars, having basketball games, and just brainstorming ideas for Project Graduation were events in and of themselves.
Last night one of my duties was to help with the prizes, guard the table, hand them out etc...In this position I got to observe these new "adults" interacting with each other, dancing, and just being themselves. It was quite an experience. I have to say that dancing has changed soooo much since I was their age! They were all so well choreographed and actually spoke to each other through their dance. I am a firm believer that music moves you, and you feel it in your soul...and although not all of the music was "my music" (and yes some of it I knew) I could feel their energy. It was also great to see them appreciating some music from my day and cranking to some Salt n Peppa and Michael Jackson. =)
Yes I was involved with giving out the prizes, but I also donated a few Tees for the event. For the most part every kid was grateful for their prizes, even if it was just a $10 gift card. I heard lots of thank yous, but seriously there are a few in every crowd that weren't appreciative, one in particular that I was trying not to take personally. Today was a day of reflection for me ( in between naps) where I did a lot of self talk telling myself that the majority were respectful, and thankful, and not to dwell on the extremely  small amount that weren't. We did a great thing, and you will never please everyone. Napping all day after being up for more than 24 hours puts many things in perspective.
So with that I will say that there a lot of ideas for next year, and we will start over for the class of 2013, my son's graduating class! Congratulations to the class of 2012 as you go out into the real world, I wish you health, success, and the love of good people around you. The future of our world, and I am proud. Peace!

Welcome Fairies!

Brass Mattress Vents

When I was a little girl I always dreamed that there were little fairies, little people, or gnomes living around my house or yard. If there was a little crack somewhere I thought it was a doorway to where they lived.When playing outside I was always building little villages out of twigs and rocks, knowing that when I wasn't looking, and they knew it was safe, the little woodland creatures would come and play there...and if I am truly confessing my childhood fantasies (and oddities) I used to believe there were little people living in my mattress, and that the metal vents (I hope I am not the only one who remembers these) were speakers. I would talk into them, and then I would put my ear next to them hoping to catch a response. When I didn't get one, I just simply shrugged it off that they were not allowed to communicate with humans so they kept perfectly still and quiet so not to expose their secret world.
I also would lay in bed at night, and if I was positioned in such a way I could hear perfectly decorated miniature soldiers marching two by two in my brain ( I now know that it was my pulse) and they fought of germs to keep me healthy. Not sure if that falls into  "the voices in my head told me to do it" category, but it is definitely walking a fine line.
 So now you know about a fraction of the imagination I possess, and probably what contributed to my obsessive need for creative outlets (and the many, many, many projects I ask Tony to help me with). These memories lead me to my creation of the day. A fairy door that I painted on the tree that is just outside our garage. I can see it from by kitchen window and it makes me smile. I am passing my fantasy world to my little girl and I think that she loves the little people as much as I did. I still hold on to the hope that there are little creatures out there, and I have provided them a doorway to live in my yard. Use your imagination today...and become a kid again! Creativity rocks! Peace!

STEP AWAY FROM THE T-SHIRTS!!

So I had a small epiphany...Crack Tops is supposed to be a hobby with the possibility of making a little bit of cash. I have been way over-thinking every decision and move that I make and becoming a little stressed out...distributors taking a long time to deliver, discontinuing entire lines of t-shirts, paypal or google check-out, keep an inventory or not...my head felt like it was going to burst!! So in the small epiphany I thought, take a step back, clear my head and just make shirts!!  The rest, God willing, will come in time. I feel better and lighter. I never intended Crack Tops to be a booming business, just a way to be expressive and creative. We were always looking for fun shirts and now we can make them! If there is something you want, ask, chances are I can do it. If there is a color/style/size shirt you want and you don't see it on my website or my facebook page, ask, again chances are I can get it! We want everyone who wears our shirts to love them as much as we do. That means I will continue to search for the best quality shirts that fit, wash, and wear well. I have tried several brands and some of them just don't work. (Good news for family and friends, the trial shirts will be given as gifts or offered at substantial discounts!) Learning curve =) Thanks for being patient with us.  Love and Peace from our family to yours!

It is time for wine!!

The T-Shirt gods were not kind to us this evening! We prepped our screens today and our first one didn't expose, not our actual first silk screen so we were not sure what the issue is, but deducted that our equipment eventually needs to be upgraded to do what we want it to do (we had tried something new)...so we go back to the old way! The next exposed beautifully, no issues...the third,  put us at a standstill...the halogen bulb exploded! So we called it quits for the night. I then decided to come inside and order some Tees, only to find that the women's shirts I took weeks to choose, are possibly being discontinued! Seriously it is enough to make me batty! Chalking it up to the T-Shirt gods toying with us, and making us earn our stripes! LOL, tomorrow, and the next, are new days, with a new perspective and new ideas. ...as for today it is Choco-Vine time! Have a great night! PEACE!

4 MORE DESIGNS!

Just wanted to let those of you who have been checking back with us, we are making 4 new silk screens today!  New Pictures should be up in a day or two! Thanks for the support! PEACE!

Almost There!

We are almost up and running! Please check out the pages and see the shirts we have designed so far! We are really having a good time with it! We are learning; therefore making mistakes, and figuring it out along the way. The two biggest challenges we are having is inventory of shirts...we are not certain if we want to keep a stock or just order them as we go...and if we do the latter we need a company that will ship fast, while not charging as much as a small country for shipping. We are just two of us with the the occasional slave labor of our children, so we are not doing this as a true, quit-your-day-job business. We are right now having fun and hoping to throw some money towards our daughter in college...woop woop Junior year!!

So as far as shirt colors, styles etc...please be patient with us. I think I have narrowed it down to two brands, one for guys and ones for gals. The fabrics are soft, comfy and flattering for everyone. That was a challenge to find the right cut, especially for women. I have "fat" arms and I am self-conscious of them, so it was important to me to find something that fit, hid the flaws while still being feminine and pretty. The kid's tees are so much easier....ahh such a simpler time! The shirts that we chose come in almost every color you can imagine, including the heathers. If you don't see it on display just ask, chances are we can get it!

The second challenge is in the design. Because we have chosen such soft fabrics for our tees, the fabric shifts a little and stretches more making the placement of the image not always on center....and although we ourselves are a little off kilter, we do not want our products to reflect that! We are working on a solution and hopefully the next batch will be perfect!

Almost forgot, we are also working on the Paper or Plastic Check Out page...hopefully soon. If you need something before it is up and running, just give us a shout.

Like I said we are not corporate, we are mom, pop, and the children serving under duress...please be patient with us.

We are nice people and we will treat you nicely...because let's face it, NICE MATTERS!  Thanks for checking back in with us! ....and go ahead just ask!  PEACE!!

We are getting there...

Geesh...we really thought when we decided to create T Shirts that we would get our equipment and be up and running in a week or so...how unbelievably  delusional we are!!  Life gets busy sometimes and it seems like there are not enough hours in a day to learn a new "trade"! ...and seriously we are just too tired sometimes to go out to the garage. Sad sometimes to realize you are not 20-something anymore and going to bed by 8 just sounds better. Moving on...Can I tell you how excited we are to say that we finally got to the stage where we put the emulsion (the stencil-y stuff) on the silk screens tonight. Holy cow the first ones were a disaster and Tony made a colossal mess, but I think we (and by we, I mean he) got it figured out. They are drying as I type and hopefully tomorrow morning when we check them they will have no drips, runs or gaps...fingers crossed!!! If all goes well and we don't have to spend countless hours removing a mess that we created tonight, we will have our first silkscreens made on Thursday or Friday!! Can't wait to get into the painting part and getting my hands dirty! =) Wish us luck! Peace!

Welcome To Crack Tops!

We are currently under construction, but check back with us real soon, we hope to be up and running in no time flat! Have a Crack Tops great day!